Band-resaw.



B. D. STEVEN3.

BAND RESAW. APPLICATION FILED 001. 19,1905.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

I 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. D. STEVENS.

\ BAND BESAW. APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 19, 1905.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911. 1

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented D00. 5, 1911.

4 SHEEEIS-SHEET 37 B. D. STEVENS.

BAND RESAW.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1905.

B. D. STEVENS.

BAND RESAW.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.19, 1906.

1,010,701 Patented'Dec. 5, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

| l I I l I l I l COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH co.,\\'.\smxn"rnsz 11.0

UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

BURT D. STEVENS, 0F BELQIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERLIN MACHINE WORKS, OF BELQI'I WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

BAND-RESAW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed October 19, 1905. Serial No. 283,468.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURT D. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band-Resaws, of which the following is a specification.

My present band re-saw machine embodies several features of improvement, comprising, first, an improved means for adjusting and permitting the self-centering of the feed rolls; second, an improved device for straining the saw; and, third, means for conveying away the dust produced by the saw. Of these improvements, however, the first only constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention, the other features specified being made the subjects of divisional applications. v v

Referring now to the feature of improvement on which the present invention is based, namely, that relating to the means for adjusting the feed rolls, it is desirable in these band re-saws to provide for a self-centering action, viz., a capacity in the feed rolls for automatically moving toward or from the line of out from any given adjusted position so as to provide for dividing the variations in the thickness of the stock being sawed between the two boards. It is also desirable to provide means for manually adjusting the feed rolls through a wide range in orderto accommodate lumber of considerable variation in thickness; and it is further desirable to so arrange the feed works of the machine that one side of the feed works, that is to say, the right hand pair of rolls, may be set rigidly so as to saw boards of a uniform gage and also to so arrange that the rolls will self-center on all stock above twice gage thickness, and the gage rolls will remain stationary on stock of less than that thickness. These several results are accomplished in my present improvements by means of certain combinations of devices which will be hereinafter fully described.

My several improvements are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine showing the feed works, their adjusting mechanism anda part of the driving mechanism; the column, saw guides and superstructure of the machine being removed; Figs. 2 and 3 are details of parts of the adjusting mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4.- is a front elevation of substantially the same parts which are shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a plan view, parts omitted, particularly intended to show the slide adjusting means. Fig. 7 is a detail showing parts represented in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a crosssection on the line 88 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a detail view of parts shown in said figure. Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the lower frame of the machine, particularly intended to show the dust chute; and Fig. 11 is a detail, showing the top or plan view of the pair of pressure rolls and the yielding mounting of the entering pressure roll.

The feed rolls may be of the usual construction and driven in any convenient manner. The gage rolls 23 and 24 are connected to a reciprocating slide 25, which crosses the line of cut and extends toward the lefthand side of the machine. The pressure rolls 26 and 27 are mounted on a slide 28,

which also extends toward the left of the feed works. The slides 25 and 28 are controlled, respectively, in their reciprocations, by the screws 29 and 30, and these screws in turn have pivoted thereto the self-centering levers 31 and 32. Said levers are pivoted on a common axis 33, and said axis is equidistant from the points of connection to the screws, so that by the vibration of said levers, the screws, and consequently the slides and feed rolls, are caused to move in unison.

Instead of the usual weighted lever for controlling the slides in self-centering, I have shown the compression springs 34 and 35, which encircle the rods 36 and 37, the latter having pivotal connection at their forward ends with the levers 31 and 32, their rear ends being connected with sleeves 38 and 39 which have sliding bearing in the frame of the machine. Set nuts 40 on the outer ends of the rods afford means for varying the tension of the springs, and in action the springs exert constant pull on the rods, thereby tending to vibrate thelevers upon their pivots in a direction to move the feed rolls toward the line of out under a yielding pressure. These two levers, it will be observed, are separately pivoted, separately connected to their respective slides and separately acted upon by their controlling springs. The spring 34, which acts upon the gage rolls, is stronger than the spring 35, which acts upon the pressure rolls, and the practical effect of this would be, if the levers were entirely disconnected, that the gage rolls would be stationary and the pressure rolls would yield up to the point where the pressure of the two springs would be equalized as the result of the yielding of the pressure rolls. It is desirable, however, to provide means whereby the gage rolls may be set rigid in any adjusted position, and also to provide means whereby both pairs of rolls may yield so as to antomatically adjust themselves to variable thicknesses of lumber; and, further, to so adjust the train of mechanism that the rolls will self-center on all material above a determined thickness, while below said thickness the gage rolls will become stationary and the yield will occur in the opposite pair of rolls only. To accomplish these various objects, I provide means whereby the two levers may be so connected that they will move equally during the self-centering action, such connections being also such that one of the levers may move through a certain distance without effecting the movement of the other. This mechanism is shown in Fig. 8 and in the detail view Fig. 9. The lever 32 has an extension or prolongation 32 below its pivot, and the lever 31 has a forked end 31*. A pin 41 passes through apertures in the furcations 31 and is adapted to slide therein. An arm or lever 42 is connected to said pin, and projects to the outside of the frame. A casting 43 adjacent to the lever 31 has an aperture therein to receive one end of the sliding pin, and the opposite end of said pin is long enough to project into the path of the lever 32. When the pin is in the position shown in Fig. 8 and its protruding end lies in the path of the downward extension 32 of the lever 32, the pressure rolls will yield or move away from the line of out, while the gage rolls will remain stationary, until the pin 41 engages the extended end 32 of the lever 32, whereupon the levers will act as one, and the rolls will yield equally and simultaneously. Therefore, if material of less thickness than required to make two standard pieces is fed to the machine, the gage rolls will practically remain stationary under the influence of their stronger spring, and the pressure rolls will follow up, and one board of standard thickness will be cut, and the thin piece will come on the pressure side. If the board is thick enough to make two pieces of standard thickness, or of more than standard thickness, the rolls will selfcenter such thick stock. Now, if the pin 41 be withdrawn from the path of the lever 32, its opposite end will enter the aperture in the casting 43, and the gage rolls will be rendered stationary, and the yielding will all take place on the other pair of rolls.

In order to set the rolls manually so as to saw boards of any desired thickness, I provide means for quickly and accurately adjusting the rolls, and these provisions are such that either pair of rolls may be moved independently. Said means comprise sprocket wheels mounted on the screw shafts, sprocket chains for driving said sprocket wheels, and pilot wheels for operating the chains, with appropriate means for determining, either roughly or accurately, the extent of the adjustment. These provisions are clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In said figures, 42 and 43 represent sprocket wheels mounted on the screw shafts; 44 and 45 represent the sprocketchains, and 46 and 47 the pilot wheels.

hese pilot wheels 46 and 47 are independently mounted, and it will be sufficient to describe the details of construction of one of them. The pilot wheel 47 is mounted to revolve or turn on a bearing 48 in the bracket 49, and has clamped thereto the sprocket wheel 50. A notched quadrant 51 is mounted upon the same center as the pilot wheel, but is clamped to the bracket 52 by means of the bolt 53 working in the slot 54. The quadrant is of such length and the gearing so disposed that a movement of the pilot wheel through an arc corresponding to the length of the quadrant will give an adjustment of the pressure rolls through a definite distance, say one inch; 100 and the pilot wheel is provided with looking detents spaced a distance apart equal to the length of the quadrant, so that, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, one of the locking detents engages with each end of the quad- 105 rant, which looks the slide in the adjusted position. To move the slide from such adjusted position through another equal distance, the locking detent at one end of the quadrant would be grasped and the pilot 110 wheel turned until the next detent encountered its end. For adjustments less than that given by the length of the quadrant, the latter is provided with notches, representing fractions of an inch or other meas- 115 ure, and one of the locking detents engaging one of such notches will lock the slide as before. This mechanism affords a very rapid adjustment, which is accurate as well. As the range of adjustment is lim- 120 ited, however, by the disposition of the notches, it may be found expedient to provide for a still finer adjustment, and this may be accomplished in various ways. One simple means is indicated in Fig. 1, wherein by swinging the quadrant and locking it in various positions within the length of the slot by means of the binding bolt 53, the adjustment can be varied from that given by the notched quadrant. A preferred arrangement, however, is that indicated in Fig. 3, wherein a second segment 55 is rigidly mounted and a lever 56 pivoted thereon has a detent 57 engaging the notches of the segment, the lower end of said lever being connected by a link 58 with the quadrant 47, and the latter is thus adjusted on its pivot through fine gradations, which can be accurately determined.

To provide for taking away the dust from the saw, I have shown a dust chute, 1

clearly indicated in Figs. 6 and 10. This chute has its main portion cast integral with the machine frame and incloses the space beneath the saw guides and extends down to the base of the machine, where it is connected with a suitable suction. The cross-sectional area of this chute .I proportion to the area of the openings tural details.

around the saw guide, so that all, or practically all, of the saw-dust will be. withdrawn by the suction, instead of being allowed to accumulate in the base of the machine or scatter over the machine. It will be observed that the chute 59 is flared outwardly at its upper end to embrace the blocks carrying the saw guides. These guides must, of course, permit freedom of movement to the saw blade, but they are set close to the saw and there is an opening in front of the edge of the saw indicated at 60, through which the principal part of the saw dust drops into the chute. There are also slots 61 in the sloping sides of the chute 59 to catch any dust that slides over the upper surface of the guides and the blocks carrying them. There is also an opening at the bottom of the flaring portion of the chute where the saw blade emerges, and I place in line with said last mentioned opening a funnel or chute 62 to catch the dust following the saw blade. The cross-section of the chute is equal to the combined area of these several openings, and the result is that all of the dust produced by the saw is carried into the chute and removed by the suction.

There are permissible variations within the scope of my invention from the precise structure which I have shown and described, and therefore I do not intend to limit myself to these variations in struc- For example, instead of using a quadrant for adjusting the slides, I might use a locking member affording a range of adjustment through any definite or equal portion of a circle. For example, the segment might be of such length that a movement of one-third of a complete revolution might be imparted.

- It will be noted that all of the adjusting mechanism for the feed rolls is located at the front of the machine convenient to the station of the operator. Heretofore, in machines having various adjusting provifrom each other, requiring the operator to leave his position to make, for example, a wider adjustment of the feed rolls. Furthermore, it will be observed that with my adjusting mechanism for the feed rolls the operator has plainly indicated before him at all times the exact position of his feed rolls and the thickness of lumber for which the machine is set.

I claim:

1. In an adjusting mechanism for the feed-works of a sawing machine, the combination of a machine frame, a feed roll slide, a screw having a threaded connection with said slide and adapted to move the same, gearing for turning said screw, the controlling member of said gearing being mounted upon said machineframe, a stationary segment rack, and a plurality of locking dogs or latches mounted to move with said controlling member and adapted to cooperate with said rack to lock said gearing from movement, said locking dogs or latches being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the length of said rack, each of said dogs when at an end of said rack looking the gearing from movement in one di rection only, substantially as described.

2. In a feed roll adjusting mechanism for a sawing machine, the combination with the feed rolls and their slides, of screws connected to said slides, gearing for operating said screws, one member of said gearing being mounted on the screw and the other rotatably mounted on the machine frame, a pilot wheel connected to the frame gear, latches connected with the pilot wheels, a segmental locking plate arranged concentric to the axis of the pilot wheel, and means for adjusting said segment and for looking it in its adjusted position.

3. In a re-sawing machine, the combination of feed roll slides, independent means of different strengths for pressing said slides toward the line of cut, and means for inter-engaging said pressing means whereby to cause said feed roll slides to move simultaneously, substantially as described.

4:. In a re-sawing machine, the combination of feed roll slides, independent means of different strengths for pressing said slides toward the line of cut, and means for inter-engaging said pressing means whereby to cause said slides to move simultaneously, said inter-engaging means comprising a pair of separable members to permit a definite travel of one of the slides from the line of cut before the second slide is aflectent means of different strengths for pressing said slides toward the line of cut, and means for separably engaging said pressing means to permit a definite travel of the slide operated upon by the Weaker pressing means from the line of out before the other slide operated upon by the stronger pressing means is affected, substantially as described.

6. An adjusting mechanism for a sawing machine comprising the combination With the machine frame, of a pair of roll slides, means for independently moving said slides, and means for resiliently pressing each slide toward the line of cut, and means for coupling said slide pressing means together after one of said slides has been moved to a predetermined position, whereby further movement of such slide is accompanied by movement of the other slide.

7. An adjusting mechanism for a sawing machine, comprising, in combination With the machine frame, a pair of roll slides, means for independently moving said slides, means for resiliently pressing each slide toward the line of out, said pressing means being of different strengths, and means for coupling said slide moving means together after one of the slides has been moved a predetermined distance, whereby further movement of said slide is accompanied by movement of the other slide.

BURT D. STEVENS. WVitnesses E. E. MITCHELL, O. B. OSBORN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

